My sense is that landscaping is often an after-thought while building a home. At least that’s what I’ve heard from lots of people who seem to run out of budget by the time exterior decisions come around.

We’re trying to think about landscaping now – not just because it will be a lot harder to get materials to the back of the house as things progress, but also because I think the all of these exterior details will set the tone for the rest of the house.

No great surprise, but I gravitate towards simple, clean lines for landscaping elements. Nothing fancy. Some fresh cut grass (or even just gravel) and square edges as seen below: